The US television audience for the Academy Awards fell to an all-time low, reflecting an industry-wide trend away from broadcast TV. The Oscars audience dropped 20 per cent from a year ago, to an average TV audience of 23.6 million total viewers, according to Walt Disney Co-owned ABC, citing data from Nielsen. ABC broadcast the Sunday ceremony, which did not have a host for the second year in a row and included performances by Janelle Monae and Eminem. The show's presenters included Steve Martin and Chris Rock, Mindy Kaling and Salma Hayek. This year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was widely criticised for not nominating any women for the best director category, and the ceremony included jokes and remarks about that exclusion and the list of 20 acting nominees that included just one person of colour. The average unit cost for a 30-second TV ad during the ceremony ranged from $US1,689,300 to $US2,272,900 ($A2.5 million to $A3.4 million), according to the research firm SQAD. ABC owns broadcast rights for the Oscars through 2028. Australian Associated Press

This year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was widely criticised for not nominating any women for the best director category, and the ceremony included jokes and remarks about that exclusion and the list of 20 acting nominees that included just one person of colour.

The average unit cost for a 30-second TV ad during the ceremony ranged from $US1,689,300 to $US2,272,900 ($A2.5 million to $A3.4 million), according to the research firm SQAD.